Vehicle signal device



, Jan. 5, 1932. A. RAVA 1,839,499

VEHICLE ,SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Nov. 26 1928 l L Y Patented Jan.` 5, 1932UNITEDl STATES f I, En. H'AvA. or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon TOSTEWART-WARNER COR- ronATIoN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION orVIRGINIA VEHICLE SIGNAL v:ouvIoE Application led November 28, 1928.Serial No. 321,901.

This invention relates to vehicle signal devices, and more lparticularlyto a devlce of the type for visi ly warning the drivers of followingvehicles of a contemplated change in motion, such as stopping orturning. An object of the invention is to provide a devlce of novelconstruction including words or symbols formed of luminescent tubing,conveniently mounted in the interior of an automobile (especiallyadaptable to those Vof the closed design) immediately in front oftherear ywindow in a position insuring its being visible at all times bydrivers of following vehicles. Another obj ect is to provide an improvedmounting for a device of this charac- Yter such that the entire unit isswivelled in its supports to swin away from the window so as to give anuno structed view through the same orto permit cleanin the wmdow and thedevice. A' further obJect is to provide a trans arent protective casingfor the of lumlnescent tubin mounted for move-,-

ment therewith as a unit. The invention consists in certain features andelements of construction, herein shown and described,- as indicated bthe claims. Inthe rawings: Figure 1 is a transverse sectional viewthrough an automobile body, showing the signal device embodying thepresent invention,

mounted in operative position.

Fi re 2 is an enlarged rear view of the signeuin mounted position; theback of the vehicle being omitted.

Figure 3 is an end view of the device., Figure d is a sectional viewthrough an induction coil used in connection with my device, withconductor wiring shown diagrammatically.

Figure 5 is asectional view taken through the cap, showing the circuitinterruptor.

Figure 6 is an enlarged axial section through a trunnion supportingbearing with the lead-in-wire terminal.

dicated at line 7-7 on Fi re 6. p

The signal device embo ying the present invention ma be used inconnection with ractically a types of passenger automoiles, but isespecially suited to the closed Figure 7 is a transverse section takenas in,

The luminescent tube is in eneral gases are rendered luminous bypassingi an s of electric current therethrough. The en the tube aredrawn and sealed to retain the gas therein and each end has anelectrode, 15, with one end protruding into the tube and the other endfreely exposed forl contact with a source of electrical energy. Theportions, 16, of tubing just inwardl of the rawn ends, preferab y areshaped or seating in recessed pockets, 17, formed adjacent each end andin the upper side of a supporting block, 18, of insulating material suchas a phenolic condensation product. These ortions of the tube arepermanently secure in the recesses byl any suitable material such aspitch or a p enolic condensation product,

lthus supporting the sign in fixed relation to the block, 18.

The pockets formed in the block, 18, connect with cylindrical bores, 21,o ening centrally at the outer ends' thereo The extreme ends of theblock are reduced to form cylindrical supporting trunnions, 22, eachhaving Orce-tted thereon a metal terminal cap or thimble, 23, whichencloses or houses a quantity of tin-foil, 24, in the bore, 21,surrounding the exposed portion of the electrode, 15, as seen in Figure6. This arran ement insures positlve and ri 'd support or,

the luminescent tubing an neat and compact terminal connectionstherefor. The caps or thimbles, 2 3, are adapted to be rotatably mountedin the counterbored ends of a pair of trunnion bearings, 25, which areclamped in brackets, 26, mounted on the sill, 13. These trunnionbearings, 25, are formed of `some suitable insulating material alsoprovides such as a phenolic condensation product and are each providedwith chambered portions, 27, opening into the counterbored ends thereof.Mounted in each chamber is a swivel terminal for connection with thetubing, comprising a plunger, 29, slidably carried in a racket clip, 30,disposed in the chamber, 27,

ywith the extreme end of the clip in contact with the inner end of saidchamber. The plunger is formed with a blade-like head, 31-, adapted toengage in a co-operating slot, 32, formed in the outer end of the cap orthimble, 23, and is frictionally held in'yielding contact therewith by acoil spring, 33, encircling the plunger and interposed between ashoulder of the bracket clip, 30, and a shoulder, 34, of said plunger,thereby normally tending to urge said terminal plunger against the cap1or thimble, 23. It will be ap parent that t e spring-pressed swivelterminals, 29, may be designed to provide suficient frictionalresistance against the shoulders, 34, or the trunnion bearin members,25, may be adjusted axially in their brackets 26, to press frictionallyagainst the ends o the supporting block, 18, so that the friction willmaintain the sign in any desired position of angular adjustment.Further, this mounting permits swinging the sign unit about its axis toa horizontal position to afford an unobstructed view through the window,12, or to permit easy access for cleaning.

Adjacent the closed end of each trunnion bearing, 25, a suitableopeningis -provided to permit insertion of a lead-in wire which is securedtherein in contact with the clip, 30. Thus the portion of the circuitbetween the lead-in wires is completed through the neon gas electrodes,15, tin-foil, 24, terminal ca s, 23, p ungers, 29 and the clips, 30.

` ully enclosing the luminescent tubing is a protective housing orcasing, 37, of transparent or transluscent material. The casing is ofrectangular outline havin its front and back walls extended downwar lyon opposite sides of the supporting block, 18, and these extended ormarginal portions are enclosed by a clamping strip, 38, of U-shapedcross section which is fitted around the bottom of the block by thescrews, 39. Thus the casing is provided proper reinforcement,y and isadapted to be moved bodily with the sign as a unit, about the trunnions.

Inasmuch as the electric current for illuminating neon gas inconstructions of this character must be of relatively high ferquency,and since the average automobile is tted with a storage battery o lowvoltage, I provide an induction coil, 41, for stepping-up the voltage.This induction coil vincludes the usual primary coil, 42, and secondarycoil, 43, housed in a casing, 44. An insulating disk, 45, is positionedin the casing adjacent one end of the coils, and has secured thereto acircuit interrupter comprising a xed terminal,

46, and a movable terminal, 47 A condenser, 48, conveniently mounted inthe casing is connected in the circuit for bridging the circuitinterrupter. The entire induction `coil may be mounted at any suitableplace and is shown in Figure l conveniently carried in a bracket, 49,secured to the under side of the ioor boards, 50, of the vehicle.

The electric circuit may be briefly described as follows: The battery(not shown) has one of its terminals grounded to the vehicle chassis inthe usual manner and the other terminal is connected by a conductor, 55,to a terminal, 56, on the induction coil casing, from which terminal aconductor, 57, is connected to the movable terminal, 47, of the circuitinterrupter. A conductor, 58, connects the fixed terminal, 46, of thecircuit interrupter to one end of the primary coil, the other end beingconnected by a conductor, 59, t0 the casing terminal, 60, which isgrounded to the chassis. One end of the secondary coil is connected by aconductor, 61, to the terminal, 60, and the other secondary coilterminal is connected by conductor, 62, to the lead-in wire, 63, whichis attached to one of the terminals of the sign. The other leadin wire,64, of the sign is grounded to the chassis, thus-completing the circuit.A conductor wire, 65, connects 'one terminal of the condenser to thefixed interrupter terminal, 46, and the other condenser terminal isconnected by conductor wire, 66, to the movable interrupter. terminal,47. A suitable switch (not shown) may be interposed in the line for'convenient manipulation by the driver, preferably in conjunction withhis actuation of clutch or brake pedal.

My signal device is compact, and of simpliied construction, and beingmounted in registration with the rear window of an automobile, it willbe plainly visible to the operators lof following vehicles. This isespe- 'cially advantageous in congested traffic,

where a stop signal is of paramount importance. Y

I claim 1. A signal lamp including a sign consisting of a word or symbolformed 'of luminescent tubing, and mounting means therefor arrangedinside of a vehicle body for supporting said signlin registration with awindow, said means including trunnions at opposite end s of the sign topermit swinging said sign away from and substantially out ofregistration with said window.

2. A signal lamp including a supporting member, a sign consisting of aword or symbol formed of luminescent tubing and rigidly secured to saidmember, said tubing being provided with electrodes at each endcommunicating with its interior, and means arranged inside of a vehiclebodyl for supporting said sign in registration wlth a rear window, saidmeans including trunnion connecbol formed of luminescent tubing andrigidly secured to said member, said tubing being provided withelectrodes at each end communicating with its interior, and meansarranged inside of a vehicle body for supporting said sign inregistration with a rear window, said means including trunnions in theform of terminal caps on the opposite ends of the supporting member and]ournaled in fixed bearings to permit swinging of'the sign toward oraway from the window, said terminal caps having' electrical contact withsaid electrodes, and conducting means in contact with said terminal capsand connected to leadin wires for completing the electrical circuit.

4. A signal lamp includinga supporting member, a sign consisting of aword or symbol formed of luminescent tubing and rigidly secured to saidmember, said tubing being provided with electrodes at each endcommunicating with its interior, and means arranged inside of a vehiclebody for supporting said sign in registration with a rear window, saidmeans including trunnion connections with the supporting memberincluding fixed trunnion bearings of insulating material at each-end ofthe supporting member, terminal trunnion caps at each end of said memberrotatively held in said bearings, metallic packing interposed betweenthe electrodes and the terminal caps to provide electrical contacttherewith, and conductors carried in said fixed bearings in contact withsaid terminal caps and connected to lead-in wires for completing theelectrical circuit.

5. In the combination defined in claim 3, said conducting means in theixedbearings each including a support, and a plunger rotatable therein,said plunger and terminal cap having interengaging features whereby saidplunger is rotated in its support upon swinging of the sign on itstrunnions.

6. In the combination defined in claim 3, said conducting means in thefixed bearings each including a support, and a plunger rotatabletherein,said plunger and terminal cap having interengaging features whereby saidplunger is rotated in its support upon swinging of the sign on itstrunnions, together With yielding means normally urging said plungeraxially into contact with the terminal cap, and providing rictionalresistance for maintaining said sign at any desired position of angularadjustment.

7. A signal lamp including a sign consisting of a word or symbol formedof luminescent tubing, a base block in which the ends of the tubing areanchored below the word or symbol, a protective cover of transparentmaterial comprising front and back walls disposed in substantiallyparallel planes between which the tubing extends, means joining saidfront and back walls at their upper and lateral edges, the lowermarginal portion of said walls being secured to the base block whereby atransparent housing is provided for the luminescent si al. ALEXAN ERRAVA.

